SNACK TIME healthy holiday snacking substitutions

Want to make some wonderful, holiday treats, but still keep it healthy and enticing? Focus on size, color and shape.  Making simple substitutions to traditional family recipes can deliver a nutritional boost without sacrificing taste.

Recipe Substitution Tips:

Substitute whole wheat flour for white flour. Replacing half of the white flour with an equal part of whole wheat flour will increase the fiber content and trace minerals such as zinc and magnesium. Works well with cakes and muffins!

To reduce calories and fat in a recipe, substitute half the fat (a recipe with 1 cup of oil would use 1/2 cup oil and 1/2 cup applesauce). If you can't tell the difference, try substituting a bit more of the fat each time. Applesauce adds moisture and should not change the flavor of the recipe.

Use prunes for butter. No kidding! In brownies and other dark baked goods, prune puree makes a perfect butter substitute while cutting more than half the calories and fat. Combine 3/4 cup prunes with 1/4 cup boiling water, and puree to combine. Substitute in equal amounts in most dark baked good recipes.

Fortify to boost nutrients.Toss in some nuts or ground flax seed meal to a recipe to boost fiber, B vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids. Spices such as cinnamon, cardamom and ginger contain antioxidants and other compounds that may boost health.

Choose bite-sized vs. super sized. Holiday snacking is part of family tradition and fun. Bringing balance to the table might alleviate some guilt without foregoing flavor. Celebrate using traditional family recipes, but cut into smaller pieces or use holiday-shaped cookie cutters to create a more festive feel. Bite-size desserts such as mini-tarts and cookies automatically act as calorie monitors. Focus on quality not quantity.  

Healthy holiday snack suggestions:

• Bite-size sandwiches in the shapes of holiday characters offer fun and intrigue. Fill with lunch meat, hummus, lite-cream cheese or peanut butter and jam.  
• Mini-muffins with whole grains, pumpkin, dried fruit or nuts.
• Hot spiced tea brings flavor and warms the body.
• Cranberry, Tangerine and pomegranate punch packs flavor and even more phytonutrients!

Happy Healthy Holidays!

Image credit: littlenummies.net

Submitted by Leslie Kay-Getzinger, MS RD

Regional Dietitian for Nutrition Management Services Company

SHORT STORY 14th annual choc toy run

Santa says thanks to Fairmont's "elves"!

Fairmont celebrated a beloved holiday tradition on Friday, Dec. 13 with the 14th annual CHOC Toy Run. Bikers from the Orange Coast Harley Owners Group (OCHOG) arrived at each of our campuses to pick up Fairmont's toy donations, meeting with students and teachers before revving up their Harleys and heading on their way.  Fairmont's donations will be delivered to CHOC hospital on Christmas Eve and will bring cheer to the children hospitalized at CHOC throughout the coming year.  Thank you to the entire Fairmont community for your generosity!

Mrs. Calabria gets in the spirit!

Contributed by Valerie & Danyelle, Fairmont Private Schools

SCHOOL NEWS technology in the classroom

Fairmont Prep's 1:1 iPad program is a huge success!  We love to see what happens when great teaching meets engaging technology.  Check it out!

Contributed by Danyelle, Fairmont Private Schools

FAIRMONT FIVE winter break boredom busters

Woohoo, the winter break countdown has begun!  It's the most wonderful time of the year for children looking forward to Santa, holiday celebrations and NO SCHOOL!  For moms and dads, it can be challenging.  There are tons of holiday preparations to be made, travel to and fro, and the kids are out of school--yikes!  What can you do to keep your sanity, entertain your kids and sneak in a little fun, learning over the winter break?  Here are five ideas:

1. Make a marshmallow tower
2. Build a indoor fort
3. Send the kids to the museum with grandma (great gingerbread exhibit at Discovery Science Center)
4. Let the kids make gift tags from scrap paper or old Christmas cards
5. Make paper chain decorations

Contributed by Danyelle, Fairmont Private Schools

SCHOOL NEWS coach kahlweiss wins coach of the year

Congratulations are in order for Coach Katie Kahlweiss who was recently named 2013 Coach of the Year for the San Joaquin League. Coach Kahlweiss lead the young Lady Huskies volleyball team to a second place finish in the league.  She says, "When I coach I love to teach the girls about technique, teamwork, and discipline, but mostly I enjoying teaching the strategy of the game!  I also encourage my girls to live healthy and active lifestyles which are lessons they can take with them after they leave Fairmont." 

Contributed by Danyelle, Fairmont Private Schools

BULLETIN BOARD december inspiration

Children look forward to the holidays all year long, but sometimes the fun gets lost in the shuffle.  We love these four pins from our Fairmont Pinterest boards that bring out the kid in all of us.

1. Printable holiday fireplace and mantle

2. Ideas for decorating kids' rooms for the holidays

3. Salt dough Christmas ornaments

4. Gumdrop pops

Contributed by Danyelle, Fairmont Private Schools

A TO Z holiday giving for kids

With so many messages bombarding us to hit the stores and buy, buy, buy, it can be hard to re-focus on a deeper meaning of the holiday season.  One way to tune out the noise of consumerism is to get involved in giving back to others through community service or philanthropy. 

The holiday season is the perfect time to "shop" for a worthwhile cause that suits your family. Whether it's adopting an animal at your local zoo or aquarium, sponsoring a child in a developing country, rounding up canned goods for charity or visiting a senior center, you don't have to look far to find meaningful ways to show genuine charity. 

The holidays can be a stressful time for children as well as parents.  There's so much going on. The expectations are high.  And Santa is making his list and checking it twice!  Slowing down and connecting with others in the community is a great way to bring some normalcy to the season.  

As surprising as it may seem to parents who are keeping track of their kids' ever-expanding holiday wish lists, children get a huge kick out of giving--they just need to be introduced to the habit by an adult who has experienced the joy of giving and wants to pass it along. It's contagious!

There are so many benefits for children who are socially conscious. KidsHealth lists these perks:

• A sense of responsibility. By volunteering, kids learn what it means to make and keep a commitment. They learn how to be on time for a job, do their best, and be proud of the results. But they also learn that, ultimately, we're all responsible for the well-being of our communities.
• That one person can make a difference. A wonderful, empowering message for kids is that they're important enough to have an impact on someone or something else.
• The benefit of sacrifice. By giving up a toy to a less fortunate child, a child learns that sometimes it's good to sacrifice. Cutting back on recreation time to help clean up a beach tells kids that there are important things besides ourselves and our immediate needs.
• Tolerance. Working in community service can bring kids and teens in touch with people of different backgrounds, abilities, ethnicities, ages, and education and income levels. They'll learn that even the most diverse individuals can be united by common values.
• Job skills. Community service can help young people decide on their future careers. Are they interested in the medical field? Hospitals and clinics often have teenage volunteer programs. Do they love politics? Kids can work on the real campaigns of local political candidates. Learning to work as a team member, taking on leadership roles, setting project goals — these are all skills that can be gained by volunteering and will serve kids well in any future career.
• How to fill idle time wisely. If kids aren't involved in traditional after-school activities, community service can be a wonderful alternative.

You can feel confident about being generous when you research charities in advance through Charity Navigator.  The site ranks non-profits on a variety of things including how much of your donation goes to provide goods or services and how much is spent on overhead.  To get ideas for family friendly volunteering, check out this e-book from Volunteer Spot.

This time next year that must-have gift of the season will be long forgotten but the values and memories made by getting involved in giving back will last a lifetime.

Image credit: insideakronchildrens.org

Contributed by Danyelle, Fairmont Private Schools